The world needs professionals who desire to be stewards of the Earth.
At Michigan Tech, dig deep into your studies to understand our planet—and strike a delicate balance between our society’s need for natural resources and our responsibility to preserve the environment.
Geology is the study of the earth, earth materials, and earth systems; it is a physical and natural science. Geologists inquire into some of humankind’s most enigmatic challenges. Their work sheds light on global concerns including:
- Responsible natural resource development
- Environmental protection
- Global climate prediction
- Land-use planning
- Natural and human-induced hazard investigation and mitigation
- Water-supply maintenance
As a geologist, explore and extract minerals or energy resources, dispose of nuclear and chemical waste, choose the best sites for structures, or study natural hazards—such as volcanoes or earthquakes—and figure out how to minimize their impact on people.
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18students for average class size
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14schools nationally offering geological or mining engineering programs
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5:1undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio
Tomorrow Needs Adaptable Geology in the Field and Lab
The daily duties of geoscientists, such as geologists, include investigating natural phenomena, collecting data on location, interpreting the results in a lab, and writing reports. Field studies bring geoscientists to diverse landscapes around the globe—from volcanoes to oceans to oil fields. Geoscientists must have the ability to develop a picture of a field site based on limited data; therefore, sound critical-thinking skills are advantageous in this discipline. Due to the nature of their work, these professionals must adapt to a variety of situations and working conditions.
Be Career-ready
Discover a world of opportunity. A bachelor’s degree in geology will prepare you for a career in industry or graduate study. Generally, geologists employed in industry spend part of their working time outdoors enjoying nature and, if desired, traveling the world. Students interested in certain sectors of industry, such as oil exploration, or a career in academia should explore graduate education options. An advanced degree provides greater specialization.
Each year, more than 400 employers come to campus to recruit Huskies at our career fairs and our business grads go on to work at Fortune 500 companies, tech startups, small businesses, and everything in between.
Career Opportunities for Geology
- Groundwater and surface water monitoring and cleaning
- Natural-hazards mitigation
- Satellite remote sensing of environmental processes
- GIS mapping of environmental data
- Site investigations of underground hazards
- Slope failure investigations
- Oil or gas exploration and recovery
- Subsurface visualization
- Natural and induced seismicity evaluation